Glena Rodriguez is a London-based ceramics artist and teacher, focused on wheel thrown pieces and hand carving techniques.

She is deeply connected to her Filipino-Colombian roots, drawing on ancient sacred practices, mysticism, rituals and nature. Connecting the ancient with the contemporary, she creates one of a kind pieces intended to be passed down as heirlooms, honouring the long life cycle of the material.

Her current work focuses on objects we can use in modern rituals that can facilitate our acknowledgement and connection to things not of this world and “the other”.

Glena explores and integrates aspects of herself that challenge her, infusing a vulnerable expression in her work. Deeply personal elements that she grapples with on a daily basis such as neurodivergence, PMDD and depression are shaped into smoothly perfect forms on the inside and emotive textures on the outside. These pieces raise questions and contradictions about our pursuit of perfection - can practice still be meaningful without the goal of perfection?

In her teaching, Glena encourages students to work with rather than dominate the clay, learning how to adapt to its ever changing nature and to view time at the wheel as an embodied practice. The balance between practice and play is central to her teaching, resisting the pull of perfection and completion - a common thread and perennial goal with her personal work.

"Ritual Vessels offers ceramic objects designed for modern rituals, made to be passed down as heirloom pieces. Design duo Glena Rodriguez and Jess Wu set a clear intention from the start - how to connect people to ancient rituals and stories, as a reminder that our bodies are ritual vessels themselves.

Through designs inspired by nature, ancient spiritual practices and Glena’s Filipino-Colombia heritage, each piece reflects the design philosophy of Ritual Vessels of working with rather than dominating the clay - honouring the long life cycle of the material.

The use of script, hand carving and unique throwing techniques are combined to create “imperfect’ textures to contrast the smooth perfection within.

From thought to creation, they seek to infuse intention into our interactions with everyday objects to deepen our reverence and connection to our everyday rituals, distilling the essence of the need for sacred practices in a contemporary setting."